Quick & Easy {kosher} Corn Chowder
Team! It’s happened! I blogged! I’ve had these pictures and this recipe for roughly 3 weeks and I finally got my stuff together enough to churn out this post. One of the reasons, besides lack of time, that I haven’t been blogging is that the natural light in my apartment stinks so the pictures I was taking weren’t the greatest. It’s not like I’m churning out award-winning food photography here, but the pictures I just weren’t up to snuff. So the solution? I now take pictures at the window at the end of my floor’s hallway. If my elegant, ever-stylish French next door neighbor were to step out her front door during one of my ‘photo shoots’ (I should mention that my assistant is my 2 year-old) I’m not sure how I’d explain my way out of the situation. Maybe I’ll just keep some brie on me and throw it to her, you know, just in case I need back up. Anywho, the word, “poop show” doesn’t quite describe the scene of me taking pictures of soup while asking my 2 year-old photography assistant to please hold the cardboard back-drop for mommy cause I really need that light to hit a certain angle. There might be a few promises of Sesame Street time throw out to photography assistant from photographer but hey, it gets the job done. Thanks, Big Bird!
![My photography assistant. Noticed the kitchen towel. She was great at quick clean ups . . . that she had caused.](https://jewhungrytheblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_9393-1024x682.jpg)
My photography assistant. Noticed the kitchen towel. She was great at quick clean ups . . . that she had caused.
Ok, the soup. THE SOUP! This is one of those time-saving, supremely filling recipes that was born out of a need to get vegetables into the kid AND the need for a delicious meal that we can both enjoy. It’s actually been cold in LA so this soup was a warm and comforting friend on a particularly chilly night. The recipe below will net you roughly 5 -6 servings. I had dinner for two nights plus lunch for two days. Also, just to note, I throw smoked paprika into this recipe in an attempt to capture the traditional corn chowder flavor of bacon/ham. So yes, this recipe is kosher but mainly, it’s vegetarian. I have actually had traditional corn chowder made with ham, back in my pre-kosher days. It was good. I cannot tell a lie. But since going kosher, I feel that smoked paprika has become a close friend in helping me turn dishes traditionally made with ham or bacon and into delightful little kosher (read: vegetarian) dishes. Oh! I also used organic frozen vegetables in this recipe, which are cheaper and ready for use; the perfect solution for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. I hope you enjoy!
Quick and Easy {kosher} Corn Chowder:
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 cup frozen bell peppers
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 cup of milk
1 cup half and half
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese-optional, for serving
Directions:
1. In a large soup pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil over medium high heat for 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
2. Stir in the bell peppers and corn; season the corn/onion/pepper mixture with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour evenly over the top and stir to combine. Pour in broth and stir well. Allow this to thicken for 3 or 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low.
3. Stir in milk and half-and-half, then cover and allow to simmer/thicken for 15 minutes or so. Once thicken, add 3/4 cup of the Pepper Jack and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning according to your taste preference. Serve in individual bowls and top with remaining 1/4 cheese.